Grapefruit uses

WHAT IS GRAPEFRUIT USED FOR?

Edible uses of grapefruit

Grapefruits are grown primarily for consumption, mainly in the following ways:

• Grapefruit as a raw fruit: They can be eaten directly, provided that they are sweeten with honey or sugar to neutralize its high degree of acidity.
• Grapefruit juice: More common is consuming their flesh squeezed juice, especially enhanced for the so famous “lemon diet” for diuretic, remineralizing and slimming purposes. (See more information on this diet ).
• Grapefruit vinegar, syrups or jams: Besides being eaten as a fruit or for its juice, many edible products are made from this fruit, such as grapefruit vinegar, syrups or jams.
• Grapefruit seeds vegetable oil: We can obtain vegetable oil from grapefruit seeds. This must be refined to become a high quality oil, very similar to olive oil and, highly recommended for human consumption.
• Grapefruit seed extract: We should also mention the grapefruit seed extract, a product with bacterial, fungal and antiparasitic properties, widely used as a folk remedy.
• Grapefruit as fodder for livestock: In animal nutrition, grapefruit waste is converted into molasses, which are used as an ingredient for fodder. Grapefruit skins, once purified, can feed livestock.

Industrial uses of grapefruit

• Thickeners and preservatives: The food industry also takes profit of the soluble fiber-pectin, citric acid and vitamin C as thickeners and preservatives.
• Grapefruit flavorings: From grapefruit skin many oils are obtained which are used as flavorings. From the inner skin and pulp naringin is extracted, a flavonoid with very bitter taste used for flavoring bitter tonic beverages, candy, ice cream, bakery, etc. Lately, it is being used to prevent vegetable oils to become rancid.

More information on grapefruit

Written by Editorial Botanical-online team in charge of content writing

20 October, 2022